Whether you’re a renter or a homeowner, you likely have already had to contend with some of the challenges of the current housing market. While buyers and current homeowners faced persistently high mortgage rates and low housing supply in recen

Reasons for Optimism: A 2024 Consumer Credit Outlook

Mar 18th, 2024 17m 32s

Originations across many product types – mortgage, credit cards, and the like -- were all lower in 2023 than the year prior. Historically high interest rates pinched consumers and made it less appealing to open new lines of credit. Will 2024 be

Consumer Credit Health in 2024

Feb 13th, 2024 9m 45s

Spending is up! Delinquencies are up? And oh, it's an election year! With the resumption of student loan payments, persistent inflation, and other potential challenges, what can consumers expect in 2024? To be sure, all eyes will be on the eco

Are Consumers Confident in 2024?

Jan 29th, 2024 14m 57s

Recent news headlines indicate that consumers shopped big this past holiday season, and retail numbers, on the surface, appeared to be up. But given notable economic pressures like record-high inflation, how much of that was just paying ‘more’

Who Makes the Credit Invisible ‘Visible’?

Jan 8th, 2024 12m 34s

In 2023, consumers balanced various financial challenges: the lingering effects of record inflation, rising credit card balances, and student loan payment resumption, among others, leaving many to explore financial products that help make chang

Are Fintechs Driving the Reporting of Rent Payments?

Dec 13th, 2023 13m 12s

As many outlets are currently reporting, in many parts of the United States, renting is now far cheaper than buying property. Various economic factors like interest rate hikes and rising costs have created a housing system in which many America

What can $340 billion buy?

Nov 28th, 2023 14m 55s

$340 billion.That figure was the commitment offered by corporations looking to help address historical injustices in American society and help close the racial wealth gap in the wake of the death of George Floyd. This week, Donovan Duncan joins

How Can Financial Inclusion Be Measured?

Nov 6th, 2023 16m 22s

The U.S. economy is, in many ways, the envy of the world, and millions migrate annually to this country to participate and live out the ‘American Dream.’ However, inequitable access to the financial tools that preclude milestone moments, like p

The Surprising Correlation between Financial Planning and Well-being

Oct 10th, 2023 12m 49s

Do health and wealth go hand in hand? Financial issues are commonly considered one of the primary sources of stress for many people and money is a well-documented reason for divorce, for instance. But is there a real link between the two? And

Navigating Your Federal Student Loan Repayment Plan

Sep 25th, 2023 18m 10s

This fall, an estimated 44 million borrowers will stretch their personal budgets once again, adding yet another item to their bottom line – a federal student loan payment. If you don’t know where to start your repayment journey, you’re not alon

Checking in on the Credit Builders Alliance/VantageScore Financial Inclusion Pilot Program

Sep 11th, 2023 16m 16s

A year ago, VantageScore funded a pilot program in partnership with the Credit Builders Alliance aimed at using data and analytics to extend credit counseling and credit scoring information to areas of the United States with large concentration

BROADENING ACCESS TO HOMEOWNERSHIP: VantageScore 4.0 implementation for GSE-funded mortgages and the balance between expanding financial inclusion and risk management

Aug 18th, 2023 13m 53s

Is there a tradeoff between expanding the pool of potential mortgage eligible consumers and sacrificing risk management? The Federal Housing Finance Agency (FHFA), which regulates Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, has mandated use of VantageScore 4.0

Are Consumers Helped or Hurt by 'Credit Repair' Agencies?

Aug 14th, 2023 13m 28s

We’ve all seen ads beckoning consumers to ‘FIX YOUR CREDIT’! But – is this possible, and perhaps more importantly – are consumers helped or hurt by ‘credit repair’ agencies?On this week’s episode of The SCORE, hear from Dan Smith, President and

Credit Score Migration: What Lenders Need to Know

Jul 31st, 2023 13m 54s

It's maybe the least understood aspect of credit scoring: a 700 score today will represent a totally different risk during the next credit cycle. And as macro-economic issues change, so does the risk that any score represents. During the pande

How is VantageScore providing lenders with transparency in a digital world?

Jul 17th, 2023 9m 33s

Atif Mirza, Vice President of Digital at VantageScore joins The SCORE to discuss the post-pandemic shift to digital in the financial services sector and the tools VantageScore offers lenders – namely CreditGauge, Inclusion360, and RiskRatio – t

How do fintech companies balance innovation with the need to preserve competition and to expand financial inclusion?

Jun 29th, 2023 20m 56s

What does the future of fintech actually look like? How do companies balance innovation with the need to preserve competition and to expand financial inclusion?Phil Goldfeder is the Chief Executive Officer at the American Fintech Council, a lea

How Will the End of the Federal Student Loan Forbearance Period Affect Consumers?

Jun 20th, 2023 10m 15s

Over the course of the next few months, the resumption of student loan payments is likely to change household budgets for over 40 million Americans – one of the most significant changes to their personal finances and since the start of the pand

The Financial Habits of Millennials and Gen Z

Jun 5th, 2023 11m 20s

Millennials and Gen Z have very specific financial habits. What drives these habits and how can lenders better serve the younger population? Kyle Woodley is the Editor-In-Chief of Young and the Invested, an online publication for young people

"Fairness as a Service": The Role of AI in Supporting Fair Lending Practices

May 22nd, 2023 16m 54s

Kareem Saleh, founder and CEO of FairPlayAI, has been working on financial inclusion and underwriting hard-to-score borrowers his entire career. He recently spoke with THE SCORE about the role artificial intelligence can play in supporting fair

How "LINKED" is Consumer Financial Health and Overall Wellness? ANSWER: They are inextricably tied.

Apr 24th, 2023 12m 28s

Hear from Dr. Lisa Loury Lomas, Eastern Area Director, joined The Links, Incorporated about how the organization is addressing key challenges facing our underserved communities and how friendship and service can actually serve as a catalyst for

Consumer Credit Health Remains Relatively Stable. So Why Are Lenders Pulling Back?

Apr 5th, 2023 6m 38s

Hear from Susan Fahy, Executive Vice President and Chief Digital Officer at VantageScore about how consumers and lenders are responding to the current economic environment.Susan spoke with THE SCORE podcast about what CreditGauge powered by Van

While the banking industry becomes increasingly volatile, how do the digital commerce and fintech industries maintain momentum?

Mar 21st, 2023 15m 18s

Hear from Dan Currell, CEO of the Digital Commerce Alliance, the premier, multi-industry trade association advancing the future of commerce through collaboration, education and standards in card-linking, mobile wallets and financial data. Dan

Is ChatGPT going to be making consumer loan decisions any time soon?

Feb 16th, 2023 13m 32s

This question and other current fintech trends are discussed on the latest episode of THE SCORE Podcast.Hear from Mary Wisniewski, editor-at-large and director of content at Cornerstone Advisors. A journalist that’s been covering fintech for ov

Is inflation and the rising cost of living causing consumers to miss payments?

Feb 8th, 2023 9m 21s

Hear from Susan Fahy, Executive Vice President and Chief Digital Officer at VantageScore about the latest in how consumers are handling their credit accounts.Susan spoke with THE SCORE about what CreditGauge powered by VantageScore™ is telling

What are the three most important issues facing the mortgage market?

Jan 30th, 2023 10m 38s

Hear from Chrissi Johnson, founder and CEO of Alinement Advisors, a New York-based advisory firm that coordinates housing policy efforts at the intersection of commerce and social change.Chrissi spoke with THE SCORE about how she’s developing “